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Original poster

To hang my underwear on the washing line?

111 replies

lojanto · 20/04/2024 12:42

I've hung clothes out to dry a couple of times this year when the weather has been nicer.

My friend came over and was horrified that my underwear was hung out (a mix of bras, big pants, things etc.) with the rest of the clothes.

It's not something that's ever entered my mind before, am I BU?!

My garden is quite overlooked.

OP posts:
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PoppyCherryDog · 20/04/2024 19:55

AllProperTeaIsTheft · 20/04/2024 12:45

YANBU. They're only clothes. Everyone wears them.

This!! Does your friend not wear pants?

SiriAlexa · 20/04/2024 19:46

I hang it all out, with no shame

Surroundedbyfools · 20/04/2024 19:45

That’s crazy ! I hang underwear out. I also wouldn’t think twice if I seen anyone’s underwear hanging out. Altho my DH did once say do u actually hang my boxers outside tor folk to see. I said let me assure u the neighbours really have no interest in ur boxers or anything hanging out reslly !

billybear · 20/04/2024 19:33

i put mine out but bunch up my big pants to make them look smaller,

TheresAPrayerInEveryLieYouTold · 20/04/2024 18:21

be weirder if you didnt own underwear i think

Georgyporky · 20/04/2024 18:12

I overheard my NDN tell her granddaughter, who was staying over & "helping" Nanny hang out the washing, that even her little toddler's knickers had to be hung up indoors. (Always thought she was weird.)

Blanketpolicy · 20/04/2024 18:06

I hang underwear, bras, socks on one of the 3 hanger dryer things I have with lots of pegs attached. Handy if it starts to rain (frequently in Scotland!) as I can just grab and take indoors. They also look less on display than putting them up on the line with 3 pegs each (Bridget jones style HUGE knickers!)

Blackcountryexile · 20/04/2024 18:03

Never occurred to me not to. Mine's definitely underwear and not lingerie!

GymBergerac · 20/04/2024 18:02

XH used to have a massive thing about this, he would play hell if I hung underwear on the line, apparently it was common and slutty (as advised by his aged grandma who used to live with us)
I genuinely believed it was a thing, and when I moved in with DH he thought it was hilarious that I couldn't hang knickers out! One of my most freeing moments was when I finally realised it was ok to do!

TheChosenTwo · 20/04/2024 18:00

I don’t use a washing line but do have an airer which I will put outside on a nice day.
Never hang my underwear out though, as a teen there was a neighbourhood pervert who used to steal my underwear from the line 😭
No one would be interested in my sensible black knickers now but I still get the shivers thinking about hanging my underwear out!!
However in general it’s absolutely not remotely unreasonable to hang your smalls outside! Of course it isn’t!!

Mairzydotes · 20/04/2024 17:58

I do , but I use one of those hangers with the multiple clips.

WibblyWobblyWeeble · 20/04/2024 17:58

I have a communal garden as I live in a flat, my underwear goes on the line on one of those round octopus hanger things.

greengreyblue · 20/04/2024 17:55

Yanbu however I don’t hang mine out! I have an IKEA octopus thing and I clip all socks and pants on there. They dry overnight but I realise I’m lucky as I have a utility room. I do sometimes hang outside but not in a place neighbours can see. I don’t know why I’m coy, just don’t want the bloke next door looking at mine and my DD20’s intimate clothing.

airforsharon · 20/04/2024 17:51

Thepeopleversuswork · 20/04/2024 13:52

I don't understand how people like this cope with day to day life. It must be so restrictive.

A couple of weeks ago I popped to the pharmacy to pick up some sanitary towels for my teenaged DD. Didn't bother getting a bag with them so I just took them two stops on the bus as they were and a random woman sitting opposite me offered me a plastic bag. Middle of the day, there was almost no one else on the bus, it didn't occur to me that I should cover them up. I was a bit bemused at the time, it didn't dawn on me until later but I realised afterwards she must have thought it was shameful to be carrying STs in public and that I needed help to disguise them.

These things are fairly trivial in the scheme of things but I actually find it pretty disturbing that people still regard things like this as a source of shame and something to hide. Who gives a flying fuck that other people are made aware that you might menstruate or wear underwear?

You'd love my daughter! She has autism and can get very anxious about her health and body so i was worried she would find periods difficult to cope with when they started.
Not a bit, she was fascinated by it all (not so much now, a couple of years on, the novelty has definitely worn off!) and she gave no hoots about whether it was 'polite' to discuss them (loudly, in the supermarket) or - on one occassion - trot to her Dad's car for a day out with a bag of Lillets towels cheerfully swinging from her wrist by its ribbon.
She gives NO shits 😁

Noyesnoyes · 20/04/2024 17:46

Abra1t · 20/04/2024 12:57

I do dry them outside, but not on the line. Usually somewhere lower down, which isn't as visible.

🤣

muddyford · 20/04/2024 17:44

We all wear it (or mostly). I have hung the odd load out the front as it's sunnier!

Whatineed · 20/04/2024 17:40

Shinyandnew1 · 20/04/2024 15:39

Mine are on the washing line as we speak. That is what washing lines are for! Can’t imagine being offended by someone else’s clean socks blowing in the wind!

Do people really struggle then and get embarrassed when walking around the M+S knicker section when they’re shopping?!

Just those priests in Father Ted 😂😂😂

Evaka · 20/04/2024 17:36

Did she call then unmentionables? People can be so peculiar.

RusticChips · 20/04/2024 17:07

I wouldn't worry my neighbour puts hers on the washing line in the front garden 🙄 which personally I think is a bit much but the back garden fine.

Jeannie88 · 20/04/2024 16:59

CrumpetandSausage · 20/04/2024 12:55

I also hang my reusable pads on the washing line. The socktopus is excellent for them allowing maximum sun exposure. Are they worse than undies? Are reusable nappies ok?

Just got a socktopus, it's great! Xx

Jeannie88 · 20/04/2024 16:58

I'm sat outside in full view of my underwear drying, also boxer shorts, my neighbours all have the same! What's the problem? Xx

CosmosQueen · 20/04/2024 16:58

Mine get hung on the line and, to my knowledge, none of the neighbours has ever commented in the 28 years I’ve lived here.
I do tend to hang them on the shorter inner bits of my rotary clothesline though, only because the clothes like jeans take longer to dry if they’re not towards the outside.

FangsForTheMemory · 20/04/2024 16:42

I’ve got a rotating washing line and do hang knickers either on the inner rungs where they’re not visible anyway because those rungs are shorter or from my IKEA spider. I do take them in if I think of it before the window cleaner comes.

godmum56 · 20/04/2024 16:35

its years ago now but friends of ours rented a house in a naice area quite near to us (south of England) Shortly after they moved in, the wife asked me if it was done to hang out her underwear on the line here. I said yes and asked why. Apparently the estate agent who managed the house had told her that the neighbours had complained because the husband could see her underwear hanging on her line. the punch line is he would have had to hang out of an upstairs window to do so!!

dizzydizzydizzy · 20/04/2024 16:29

I once asked my (now ex) friend why she used the tumble dryer all year round instead of using her washing line. She insisted the neighbours didn't like seeing washing
on thr line. Made no sense to me since i doubt her neigjbours would have been able to see her line. and how could it upset anyone?! people are strange.

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